Power-operated reciprocatory impact tool



Sept. 27, 1955 F. E. DANNHEIM 2,718,304

POWER-OPERATED RECIPROCATORY IMPACT TOOL Filed 0G15. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l f sin .e

F. E. DANNHEIM POWER-OPERATED RECIPROCATORY IMPACT TOOL Filed OCT.. 30, 1952 Sept. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY/ FRED E DAN/vHE//w @edm @mam/Mvm.

A TTONE YS,

Und States Patent o- POWER-OPERATED RECIPROCATORY IlVIPAC'I TOOL Fred E. Dannheim, Allentown, N. Y. Application October 30, 1952, Serial No. 317,651 s claims. (C1. s1-sz.3s)

This invention relates to a ram or impact driving device and particularly to apparatus of this class which is especially adapted to driving in a horizontal direction.

The principles of the invention may be variously applied but by way of setting forth a complete embodiment of the invention and a description of its general manner of use, reference will be had herein tothe problem which is frequently presented in driving pipe or the like horizontally through earth. In oil field, for instance, where pipe is frequently strung along the surface of land, a common problem arises when relatively short elevations are encountered. A familiar instance is the occurrence of an elevated roadbed or similar earth formation, it being the common practice to drive portions of surface-laid pipe beneath such roadbeds in a horizontal direction.

Various forms of apparatus have been proposed in the prior art for effecting this kind of pipe driving operation, but none has proved particularly effective and expeditious. The problem of driving pipe under these circumstances is aggravated by the fact that the apparatus employed must be at least semiportable in its nature, despite the rather high-powered driving job which the apparatus must perform.

Various objects and advantages incident to use of the principles of the present invention will appear to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the form of the invention which is shown in the drawings and described in the following specification by way of example. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise form thus set forth in detail or in any other way excepting as defined in the appended claims. Various mechanical modifications may be made within the limits of the present invention and without departing from its spirit or scope.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general side elevational View of one form of the apparatus of the present invention with portions thereof broken away for added clearness;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View taken approximately on the line lI-II of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken approximately on the line IIl-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken approximately on the line IV--IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale taken generally similarly to Fig. 1 and showing one form of ratchet means for advancing the driving mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational schematic view showing the cable means for advancing the driving mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a further schematic elevational view showing one phase of the operation of the driving means; and

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal fragmentary cross-sectional view of the driving end of the driving ram proper.

Throughout the several figures of the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts and the numeral 10 designates generally a normally fixed base or foundation structure while the numeral 11 designates generally a horizontally movable carriage supported on the base 2,718,804 Patented Sept. 27, 1955 "ice means, the carriage or superstructure 11 being adjustable along the base in a manner which will be described later herein. The base means comprises a pair of longitudinal rails or timbers 13 and 14 which are connected in spaced parallel relation by transverse members 15 and 16;

The upper surfaces of the beams or timbers 13 and 14 -have fixed thereto longitudinal guide strips 17 and 18,

respectively, which are offset as best shown in Fig. 3 to provide a pair of facing channels or guideways. A longitudinal plate member 20 is disposed with its longitudinal side edges in such facing channels and comprises the base member of the carriage or superstructure 11.

The carriage 11` includes four upright members 21 through 24 which form a rectangular framework, the upright members being fixed at their lower ends to plate 20 as by welding or the like. An upper horizontal inverted channel member 25 extends longitudinally between the uprights 21 through 24 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and is rigidly secured at its opposite ends between the upper ends of the uprights by bolt means 27. As best shown in Fig. 3 suitable spacers are provided between the webs of the channel member 25 and between the outer faces of the channel member and the adjacent upper portions of the uprights ZI through 24.

Longitudinally extending vertical guard plates 28 and 29 are fixed to the inner faces of the uprights 21 through 24 at their lower portions and serve also to reinforce the carriage structure. As shown` in Fig. 1, oblique brace rods or rails 30 and 31 are fixed between the uprights and the guard or side plates 28 and 29 as by welding or the like.

It will be clear from the foregoing that a rigid carriage assembly comprising the carriage base plate 20, the uprights21 through 24, and the top channel member 25, is guided for longitudinal movement on the base beams 13 and 14 by virtue of the guide bars 17 and 18. The manner in which longitudinal adjustment of the carriage on the base 10 is accomplished will be described later herein.

The ram element itself comprises, in the instance illustrated and disclosed herein, a tube 31 which is provided at its head or operating end with a solid vplug 32 as illustrated in Fig. 8. The tube 31 may be filled with concrete or the like as at 33 in Fig. 8 to give proper weight and mass to the ram element.

The ram itself is suspended from the top channel member 25 of the carriage 11 by means of a pair of horizontally spaced multiple leaf spring assemblies 34 and 35, which may be of the type used commonly in automotive suspensions. For this purpose tube 31 has fixed thereto a pair of clips 36 and leaf spring assemblies 34 and are pivoted at their upper and lower ends, respectively, to top channel member 25 and the clips 36 of the ram element by means of conventional eyebolts or the like.

The spring assemblies 34 and 35 are embraced medially by bracket assemblies 37 and 38, respectively, and the two springs are interconnected by a link 39 which is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the brackets 37 and 38.

A hydraulic operating cylinder 40 is supported by a bracket extension 41 of the carriage framework, this support being best illustrated in Fig. 4. In the form shown herein, the inner end of hydraulic cylinder 40 is pivoted to bracket 41 as at 42 whereby the cylinder is free to oscllate upon the horizontal axis for purposes of adjustment during oscillation as indicated in dash lines in Fig. l.

Cylinder 40 has an operating piston (not shown) which includes an outwardly extending piston rod 44 which is pivoted at its outer end to the embracing bracket 38 of spring assembly 35 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The hydraulic cylinder 40 is of the double acting type and a manual control valve is shown at 45 for selectively supplying iiuid operating pressure to either end of the hydraulic cylinder or to maintain the same neutral, such operation being under the control of a manual valve operating lever 46. This selective manual control of the operation of the double acting cylinder 40 is entirely conventional and the details of the operating valve need not be further described herein.

It will be obvious. from the foregoing that the operating pis'ton of the cylinder 40 may be successively activated in opposite directions to oscillate the piston rod 44 and thus swing the spring assemblies 34 and 35 in the manner of a pendulum. This swinging action is in turn transmitted to the ram member 31 and, by virtue of the resiliency of the spring suspension in the plane of operation of the ram member 31, the amplitude of the swinging of the ram extends beyond normal due to exure of the spring assemblies 34 and 35 under the inertia forces acting upon ram 31. In fact these inertia forces will build up on successive oscillations of the ram under the control primarily of the manual operating valve 45.

Provision is made for adjustably moving the carriage 11 along the base 10 by longitudinal movement of the carriage along the guide members 17 and 18 to permit the carriage to follow along as the ram drives a pipe or similar member and as the pipe is driven successively farther along into the obstruction. In Fig. 1 the numeral designates generally a pipe being driven and the numeral 51 designates an earth or similar obstruction or formation through which the pipe 50 is to be driven horizontally.

A winch and cable arrangement is provided for thus feeding the carriage along the base and this portion of the apparatus is best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6, to which figures reference will be had at this time in describing the winch and the cable arrangement and operation.

The transverse members 15 and 16 of the base means 10 are provided at their inner sides with a pair of pulleys 54 and 5S, the pulleys lying generally horizontally in the form of apparatus illustrated herein. A winch shaft 56 extends transversely of the base and is journaled near its opposite ends in the pair of beams 13 and 14 which extend horizontally of the base 10. A winding drum 57 is fixed to winch shaft 56 substantially medially thereof.

A cable 60 has its opposite ends iixed to the underside of base plate 20 of carriage 11 as at 61 and 62 in Fig. 6. The cable passes from its fastening 61 to the opposite pulley and after passing thereabout winds on the drum 57 for several turns and then passes about the other pulley 54, thence extends to the opposite fastening 62. Since the pulleys 54 and 55 and the winch shaft 56 are all supported by the rigid base 10 they maintain constant relative positions. It will be obvious from the foregoing that rotation of the winch shaft 56 in either direction exerts a cable pull on one or the other of the fastenings 61 and 62 and thus moves the carriage 11 in one or the other direction along base 10.

A manual operating lever 65 is provided for manually moving the vcarriage 11 along base 10 in either direction and the details of construction and operation of lever 65 will best be understood from a consideration of the enlarged fragmentary view thereof, of Fig. 5. Lever 65 is mounted for idle rotation on Winch shaft 56 and carries a pawl member 66 which is freely pivoted thereto at a point spaced outwardly from the center of winch shaft 56. A ratchet wheel 67 is iixed to winch shaft 56 and when pawl 66 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 oscillation of lever 65 to and fro results in pawl 66 engaging the teeth of ratchet wheel 67 to drive the same when the lever is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction while clockwise oscillation of lever 65 results in pawl 66 riding idly over the teeth of ratchet Wheel 67.

When it is desired to rotate the ratchet wheel in a clockwise direction the operator swings pawl 66 in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arcuate arrow shown in the dot-and-dash line portion of Fig. 5 to an opposite position wherein it engages ratchet wheel 67 for driving operation when the lever is oscillated in a clockwise direction with the pawl 66 riding over the teeth of ratchet wheel 67 when lever 65 is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction. The operator may thus selectively feed the carriage 11 longitudinally along base 10 in either direction selectively.

What is claimed is:

l. Impact driving apparatus comprising base means, an overhead support, and an elongated ram member, a pair of depending suspension members pivotally attached at their upper ends to said support and at their lower ends to said ram member at points spaced therealong, said suspension members being flexible in a plane generally including the pair of members, means engaging said ilexible suspension members vertically medially of said overhead support and said ram member for oscillating the suspension members in said including plane, and means for selectively adjusting said support horizontally along said base means lengthwise with respect to said ram member.

2. Impact driving apparatus comprising an overhead support and an elongated ram member, a pair of depending suspension members pivotally attached at their upper ends to said support and at their lower ends to said ram member at points spaced therealong, said suspension members being flexible in a plane generally including the pair of members and relatively rigid in a horizontal direction at right angles thereto, and means engaging said flexible suspension members vertically medially of said overhead support and said ram member for oscillating the suspension members in said including plane.

3. Impact driving apparatus comprising an overhead support and an elongated ram member, depending suspension means engaging vertically between said support and said ram member, said suspension means being flexible in a vertical plane extending lengthwise of said ram member, and means engaging said flexible suspension means vertically medially of said overhead support and said ram member for oscillating the suspension means in said vertical plane.

4. Impact driving apparatus comprising base means, an overhead support, an elongated ram member, and depending suspension means engaging vertically between said support and said ram member, said suspension means being exible in a vertical plane extending lengthwise of said ram member, means for oscillating the flexible suspension means in said vertical plane, and means for selectively adjusting said support horizontally along said base means lengthwise with respect to said ram member.

5. Impact driving apparatus comprising an overhead support and an elongated ram member, depending suspension means engaging vertically between said support and said ram member, said suspension means being exible in a vertical plane extending lengthwise of said ram member and relatively rigid in a horizontal transverse direction, and means engaging said flexible suspension means vertically medially of said overhead support and said ram member for oscillating the suspension means in said vertical plane.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

